Bumpersticker 2
by AZGirl
Summary: A bumpersticker teaches both Tony and Gibbs a lesson worth remembering. Set pre-series.


**Title**: Bumpersticker 2

**Summary**: A bumpersticker teaches both Tony and Gibbs a lesson worth remembering. Set pre-series.

**Disclaimer**: NCIS is not mine. I'm just borrowing the concepts and characters for a little while.

**Spoilers**: None.

**A/N**: This story almost didn't see the electronic light of day. Thanks to GibbsRules for the nudge to finish this….

No beta, so all mistakes are mine.

ooooooo

As I turned the corner onto DiNozzo's street, I hoped that today would be the last day I'd have to give my newest agent a ride into work. It still pissed me off that he hadn't felt he could come to me with his problem.

Ever since he had transferred to NCIS, I've been trying to teach him that he is part of a team, that he doesn't have to do everything on his own anymore, and that there are people who will and are watching his six. But, I guess with three police departments in fewer than six years, it may take some time for him to learn those truths. Hopefully, even though things hadn't gone exactly right these last two days, I hoped that he'd seen that I was willing to go the distance with him. It's something that all his previous COs hadn't even bothered to try.

Pulling up to his building, I see him sitting on his front steps just like yesterday. But, unlike the yesterday morning, DiNozzo was leaning against the stair rail completely asleep and seemingly dead to the world. As I pulled up to the curb though, I saw DiNozzo's eyes pop open. He immediately stood and jogged over to my car.

Like before, the first thing he did was to put his seat belt on as I sped away from his building. When I heard the click of the belt, I expected the usual, cheerful, "Thanks, Boss" to come from his mouth. Today, instead, he tiredly said, "Thanks, Gibbs" and then leaned into the passenger side door to promptly fall back asleep.

I couldn't help but be both a little proud and a bit worried that DiNozzo could fall asleep given how I normally drive and how he normally reacts to my driving. I remember the first few times he had been a passenger in my car. He got sick each time so I'm having a difficult time believing that he can just fall asleep like that.

I'm tempted to drive faster than what is normally called for in this situation, but then I look over at him and finally I notice the dark circles under his eyes. Realizing that he probably had next to no sleep last night made me angry. I've told him more than once that he shouldn't go out partying on a school night. But yet, for some reason, I hold back from waking him up in a way that I deem appropriate for someone who couldn't follow a simple order – that is, if he's even really asleep.

Wanting to avoid stopping at a red light, I speed up and have to narrowly avoid a car turning left in front of me. I would have thought the maneuver would have awakened my sleeping passenger, but he remains asleep. Or, is he? On the next turn I make I over-correct, and there – I see his hand tighten on the door handle. He's definitely faking it. But, why? My gut tells me to let him keep pretending. Maybe he's just trying to avoid having to talk to me given what had happened the last two mornings.

I decide to let it go considering that I'm anticipating that, that – car, for lack of a better word. I had noticed the green Ford Explorer the very first day I picked DiNozzo up.

ooooooo

The day before, I'd been angry at him for being excessively late yet again to work – for the _third_ time that week. I had been my usual 'second B is for bastard' self and told him if he was late one more time that he was fired. Right as I finished saying that, he just seemed to sort of deflate in front of me. To anyone else, he looked thoroughly chastised, but to me he just seemed resigned to the fact that he wouldn't have a job as of tomorrow.

For some reason, I just couldn't let his reaction go so I asked Abby if she knew what was bothering him. He hadn't told her anything specific, but from what he had told her, she seemed to think it might be related to his car.

I checked with Security and discovered that he had come in by foot the last four days. His car hadn't been seen since the previous Friday. I had a pretty good hunch as to what was going on and I really wanted to headslap him for not trusting me or anyone else he knew at NCIS with his problem.

It seemed like he hadn't heard anything I had said about not having to manage everything all by himself anymore – that he had teammates and friends he could lean on.

I tried not to take out my frustration on him throughout that day, but by the end of it I think he was thoroughly convinced he wouldn't have a job the next day regardless of whether or not he was on time. His posture as he left that night was the epitome of dejection.

The next morning I decided to follow my gut and drove over to his place. About 15 minutes after I'd arrived, he started to come out of the entrance to his apartment building. When he saw me, he came to a dead stop in the middle of the doorway and he had to put out his hand to keep the door from smacking him in the face. His expression was the classic 'deer in headlights' look.

It took him a few seconds but finally he recovered enough to step out of the doorway. I'd never before seen him be so hesitant. And, then I realized what he must be thinking.

Putting him out of his misery, I'd said, "Come on, let's go! You need a ride don't ya?"

I saw him blink and then his eyes widened as he realized what I had said.

"How'd you know?" he asked as he approached the car.

I just glared at him, and he said, "Right. You're Gibbs."

And, that was it. He got in the car and we were off.

I let him settle in a bit before asking, "Why didn't you come to me?"

"I thought I could handle it myself, Boss. As the relatively new guy, I didn't want to be a bother to anyone." He trailed off. "I didn't –"

"Didn't what?"

"Never mind. Thanks for the ride, Boss."

Just as I was about to ream him out a bit for thinking no one would want to help him especially with me sitting next to him in the car _helping_ him, I saw it.

A green Ford Explorer was right in front of us and on its rear bumper was a faded and torn sticker on which one could barely distinguish the words – _Semper Fi_.

Just seeing that the car's owner had no respect for the Marine Corps motto at the one moment in time when I was already angry with DiNozzo, I just completely lost it. I ended up giving my agent the dressing down of his life; yelling at him the entire rest of the way to the Navy Yard.

By the time I'd parked, I had calmed a bit, but my newest agent looked a bit pale and shaken up. He got out of the car, adjusted his suit, took a deep breath, and calmly walked to the elevator. It was as if I had not just spent the last eight minutes yelling at him.

It was then that the realization of what I'd done had finally sunk in. I told him to go ahead upstairs because I forgot something in my car, and as I saw the elevator door close, I swear I saw DiNozzo sag in relief. I slapped the back of my head for being so stupid, for losing my temper over something like that while trying to show him the importance of having your teammates' six.

By the time I got upstairs, DiNozzo had settled at his desk, but he still looked a little shell-shocked. And, frankly, by the end of the day I half expected a letter either requesting a transfer or one giving his resignation. Surprisingly, neither of those documents showed up on my desk. Granted he was a little more subdued than usual, but he also seemed more thoughtful and he made sure to keep busy that day.

On the drive back to his apartment that night he didn't say anything other than to ask, "See you tomorrow?"

"Same time," I replied.

He nodded and I watched as he walked towards his building. As he entered, he turned back and gave a little wave goodnight. The expression on his face was mostly guarded, but I swear he looked surprised at the fact that I'd waited until he got in his building before I'd left.

The next morning started off better. He was sitting waiting for me, but was still a little unsure as he got into my car. I drove off and once I heard the seat belt lock into place he said, "Thanks, Boss."

I asked him how much longer his car was going to be in the shop. He must have felt a bit more confident this morning because he tried joking, "Trying to get rid of me already?"

But, one glare from me made him quickly revise his answer, "I'm not sure. I had to take her to a specialty shop given the age of my car. They were still waiting for a part when I spoke to them yesterday."

I nodded and out of the corner of my eye I noticed he seemed a little hesitant about something so I asked, "Something on your mind?"

He looked out the window and just as it seemed like he was about to say something, I ended up behind that damn green Ford Explorer from the previous day. That sticker, for some reason, pissed the hell out of me. After a few seconds, I couldn't take it anymore and I did everything I could to get ahead of it and get it out of my sight.

In that time, I had forgotten that DiNozzo was about to perhaps open up to me and we were at the Yard before I remembered. By then I knew there was no way DiNozzo would share what had been on his mind.

Again he didn't say much on the way back to his place, but like the night before, he asked if he'd see me the next day.

ooooooo

And now, based on our driving time, I knew I'd be seeing that damn car with its anger-inducing bumpersticker any second now. And, there it was, except – what the…?

For a minute I wasn't sure it was the same car, but I recognized the license plate number. It really was the same car, and yet it wasn't.

Today the _Semper Fi_ bumpersticker looked to be brand new. It had to be brand new – I'd just seen the car only yesterday morning!

And, suddenly, inspiration hit me and I was pretty confident of what may have happened. Yet, I'm not exactly sure how he could possibly have pulled it off.

Somehow DiNozzo had found that car and changed the bumpersticker – my gut is sure of it. Briefly I wondered if the driver had even noticed the change yet.

A huge smile broke out on my face before I could stop it, and I looked over at DiNozzo to see if he'd seen it. It wouldn't do to have my bastard reputation ruined in my newest agent's eyes.

He was still faking being asleep, but for a split second there I thought I saw the corner of his mouth rise in a sort of smile before he covered it with a yawn.

He knew I'd seen the brand new, newly replaced sticker and I think he knew that I'd figured out what he had somehow done. And, that's when I realized that he _finally_ got what I'd been trying to teach him these last few months.

Finally, he understood that we were there for him, and that he wasn't on his own anymore. And, this incredible gesture that he had in one way or another accomplished told me that he was there for me too.

I couldn't help but be proud of him. He still had a lot to learn, and apparently so did I, but I knew we'd eventually get there together.

ooooooo

_The end._

**ooooooo**

**A/N**: No offense is meant to anyone with a Ford Explorer (green or otherwise) or to anyone with a faded/torn _Semper Fi_ bumpersticker.

I saw another bumpersticker that might make a good story. Is anyone interested?

_**Thanks for reading!**_


End file.
